KARACHI, July 31: The Pakistan People’s Party has criticized the misuse of PTV for launching, what it said, a malicious campaign against the party and its leadership, particularly Benazir Bhutto, in its prime time and national news bulletins for the last one week.

Terming it a pre-poll rigging, PPP acting secretary-general Raza Rabbani at a press conference at the Bilawal House on Wednesday said the party had written a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, drawing his attention towards the PTV programmes and urging the Election Commission (EC) to take notice of it.

In the letter, the party has stated that “as the election date draws nearer, the regime has launched a one-sided, malicious media campaign against the party and its chairperson.

“The official electronic media, on prime time and national news bulletins, without any cause has initiated interviews, discussions and commentaries, distorting facts to malign the personality of Ms Bhutto and the PPP. This is being done without the party being provided a reasonable opportunity of rebuttal.

“The regime is conscious that the PPP is a potent political force in the country which opposes its undemocratic policies. Therefore, with the exclusive purpose of maligning the image of the party and its leadership, the regime has initiated the campaign, which is another step towards pre-poll rigging,” the letter added.

He said pre-poll rigging could be categorized as rigging through politics, through laws and through administration.

In response to questions, Raza Rabbani, who was flanked by Taj Haider and Rashid Rabbani, said the National Reconstruction Bureau (NAB) appeared either to be confused on how to go about election of the Senate members or has a realization that its proposed procedure might benefit the PPP, and as such it has reportedly decided to revert back to the old system of election to the upper house.

He condemned the proposed law which would vest the returning officers with a suo motu power to reject nomination papers of any candidate on the basis of information received about his disqualification from any source.

“It is another PPP and Benazir specific law to prevent her and other party leaders from taking part in the elections,” he pointed out, saying that the EC should also take notice of the reported statement of the law minister in which he had said that if Ms Bhutto and Altaf Hussain did not return home by August 5, their parties would not be able to get election symbols.

Raza Rabbani said the law minister was not competent to say which party was competent to get election symbol as it was the prerogative of the EC.

Earlier, elaborating the rigging categories, Raza Rabbani mentioned the formation of SDA in Sindh, creation of the National Alliance, government’s support to the PML (QA), particularly in Punjab; appointment of ministers in Sindh cabinet who belonged to political parties, the statement of the President that Benazir will not be allowed to take part in politics, and the intention of governors and ministers to take part in elections.

According to him rigging through law included application of the NAB laws to the PPP; promulgation of specific laws to prevent Ms Bhutto from taking part in politics, proposed amendment to article 63, according to which a person convicted for non- appearance in the court can not contest elections, and the proposal that political parties will have to submit more candidates than those required under the law for the seats in the Senate.